Houston Texans wide receiver Jaelen Strong (11) celebrates after he made a catch to score a touchdown past New England Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler (21) during the first half of an NFL football preseason game Saturday, Aug. 19, 2017, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Houston Texans wide receiver Jaelen Strong (11) celebrates after he made a catch to score a touchdown past New England Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler (21) during the first half of an NFL football preseason game Saturday, Aug. 19, 2017, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)(David J. Phillip)

HOUSTON -- Malcolm Butler has produced some incredible moments in his three seasons with the Patriots.

His first action of 2017 was not his finest work.

Butler and the Patriots first-team defense struggled against the Tom Savage-led Texans in a 27-23 loss Saturday. On the opening two possessions, Savage and the Texans piled up 114 yards on drives that respectively spanned eight and 11 plays. Butler, the one-time Pro Bowl cornerback, was in coverage on five completions that went for a total of 70 yards, according to stats kept by NESN's Doug Kyed.

"Just (got to) keep grinding it out, man," Butler said afterward. "Be pissed off about it and keep grinding it out...Just got to keep getting better each and every week."

In general, the Patriots struggled to pressure Savage, allowing him to settle in and gain confidence early. Savage finished 8-for-9 for 98 yards and a touchdown. Some context, though: The Pats were without the two best players in their front seven. Linebacker Dont'a Hightower remains on the PUP list and defensive end Trey Flowers was in uniform but did not play Saturday.

The flipside of that: The Patriots had their full star-studded secondary available, and Houston was without its three best receivers (DeAndre Hopkins, Will Fuller, and Braxton Miller). The Texans' backup receivers, notably Bruce Ellington and Jaelen Strong, got the best of Butler.

On the game's first possession, Ellington beat Butler on a deep throw down the right sideline. Butler appeared to be in fine position, but he failed to jump or make a play on the ball. Ellington rose up, hauled it in, and tapped both feet inbounds for a gain of 37 yards.

On a 2nd-and-goal late in the first quarter, Strong sold a fade route against Butler and then cut to the inside. Butler slipped and was unable to recover in time to prevent the touchdown pass.

"Just got to cover better," Butler said. "That's all."

Although this was a subpar defensive performance, Butler admitted that it felt good to be on the field opposite Stephon Gilmore for the first time in a game.

Gilmore, making his Patriots debut, recorded one pass breakup and did not allow a completion.

The Patriots allowed only 15.6 points per game in 2016, the best mark by any NFL defense over the past three seasons. This year, they face a tougher schedule that includes top-end quarterbacks like Matt Ryan, Drew Brees, Philip Rivers, Ben Roethlisberger, and Cam Newton. They will be hard-pressed to match their stats from a year ago, but they should remain one of the league's best defenses.